Behringer XD8usb: Cheap electronic drum set for starters

TL:DR Okay let me start off by saying that I ordered the Behringer XD8usb 8 piece electronic drum kit for a friend. He is in a band; a professional drummer per se, and wanted my help in purchasing this bodacious beauty. However, as a starter or rather inexperienced drummer, I did have a few rounds with this electronic drum kitto see what all the hype was about.

Here’s my hands-on review from start to the end about the Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set, and more important whether you should consider buying it or not.

The good stuff about Behringer XD8usb drum set and USB interface:

So how did it all start? Well, a friend of mine wanted a drum kit. He had been planning to buy for a long time but did not have the resources to get it. Not that I am talking about the financial aspect, he needed help in the “transportation” department more like it. To cut to the chase, the guys came over one day; we laid out a plan to buy the Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set and eventually got it within 3 weeks’ time period.

It was worth it, the day this beauty got delivered, I won’t be able to forget that. They crashed at my place somewhere around midnight; we had a lot of fun unboxing this electronic drum set. Behringer did a great job from packaging point of view. Each and every component was properly packed in cellophane packing, separate boxes and cable sleeving, wherever it was required.What we did was that we opened the main box containing the components, and then unboxed each and every separate unit to take a good look at it. We also took the liberty of setting up the Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set while we were at it. Just to get the hang of the “feeling” I tried playing a few songs and got mildly proficient into coordinating my limbs with the movement.

Behringer XD8usb drum kit is made for drummers from different age groups. Even an 11 year old can play it as much easily as a grownup can.

The pedals on this drum set feel very nice and comfortable. Unlike many other cheap drum kits, these pedals, despite of having a rubbery feeling, do not stick to your feet. In other words, they rebound with the same speed/intensity as much as pressed with.

Sturdy frame. The entire frame is well built, strong and does not creak or jolt when you are in the middle of an intense solo or jam session.

Ability to create your own presets according to your songs. The Behringer XD8usb comes with 10 presets by default; you can go with the pre-programmed presets as well.

The Aux-In is great as far as any humming or white noise is concerned. In my opinion, you can even plug in your smartphone to play a tune.

The Behringer XD8usb USB interface makes it easier to record your own songs or sessions without any hassles.

If I were to pinpoint particularly one good thing about this drum kit that would stand out among others, it would have to be the ability of using headphones. Of course, almost all electric drum sets are made to work with headphones, but some of them are not.

With a flat headsets such as the Behringer HPS3000, you can play anything on this drum set at any volume setting without disturbing the person standing next to you. In this context, no more complaints from neighbors or your parents who can pop up every now and then just to ask you to lower the goddamn volume.Other than that, this drum set can be easily disassembled because of the adjustment factor. You can fold it up and toss it in the backseat of your car if you want to. Don’t worry if anything breaks because Behringer is offering a 3 year warranty program for the XD8usb electronic drum set and various other models as well.

The bad stuff about Behringer XD8usb 8 piece electronic drum set?

These setbacks are as-seen and observed by me while using this drum kit. In your case, you may not notice them based on your expertise level or play style.

While setting up, you may need to line up the kick drum properly. In my opinion, the beater is supposed to be as much close as possible to the center so that it can help trigger the max volume.

You may or may not notice this; the snare seems to be awfully quiet when compared to other components. Basically, the snare has rim hit, but the volume output is low for some reason. I will try tinkering a few settings here-n-there to see if the Behringer XD8usb snare can generate a different result.

For regular notes where you need to hit the high-hat pedal again and again, the ratio of input: output does not seem to keep up. If you are playing a song that reaches a high-hat pedal point which requires for you to hit it in succession, you will notice some beats going missing. It will take a little getting used to.

As a whole, the Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set does seem to have volume problems. Each paddle or rim was meant to generate uniform volume level, but sadly in many cases, some drums seem to be louder than the others at same volume setting.

For starters, this is a great drum kit; even for those people who have a shoestring budget. However, you should know that if you intend to expand the Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set, you will not be able to do so. After a few weeks, my friend told me that he is not able to add any more Tom’s or various cymbals to it. So much so that if you want to add a bass pedal, this particular Behringer XD8usb model will not allow it. Period.

The Behringer XD8usb electronic drum set offers great value against its price tag. Even those seasonal punk rock drummers can benefit nicely from this drum set, despite of their ethics. Right out of the box, this drum set may not offer the ideal “vibe”, but after an hour or so, you will get it.

The bounce back, the beats, the rhythm, it will all feel realistic and as much closer to a real drum set as it is possible. But if you really want to invest in a drum set for playing outside in concerts, the Behringer XD8usb may not be what you are looking for. Got for a real kit if your long term goal is to keep one and transition to real life concerts.

Hello everyone, I am Bilal Malik AKA 'Casey Nolan'; Head Editor and owner of 'Infinarium.Com'. For product reviews, article requests, recommendations, or if you just want to get something off your chest, send me an email at techguy@infinarium.com.